Composer of the Week Podcast Folgen

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the young Richard Strauss During Richard Strauss’s lifetime the sound and form of music altered radically. He was born at the tail end of the 19th century and saw the emergence of twelve tone music and atonality from younger composers like Arnold Schoenberg and his pupil Alban Berg. Strauss belonged to a previous generation and his music came to be regarded as conservative in style, but at the start of his career, Strauss had been seen as something of a modernist, breaking the mould with his series of innovative orchestral tone poems, and with the dissonant soundworld of operas such as Salome and Elektra.This week Donald Macleod follows the young Strauss’s pathway leading up to and including the tone poems, seeing how an immersion in music across his formative years influenced his ideas about orchestral writing, as well as opening up opportunities that helped him to establish a professional career as a conductor.Featured music:Oboe Concerto in D (3rd mvt: Allegro (excerpt)) Festmarsch in E flat major, Op 1 Horn Concerto No 2 in E flat major AV 132 (III: Rondo (Allegro molto) Symphony No 1 in D minor TrV 94 (II: Andante) Concerto for violin in D minor (I: Allegro) Concert Overture in C minor Op 80 TrV125 Suite in B flat major Op 4 (III: Gavotte. Allegro) Symphony No 2 in F (I: Allegro ma non troppo) Burlesque in D minor for piano and orchestra 8 Gedichte aus "Letzte Blätter", Op 10, TrV 141 (No. 3, Die Nacht) Aus Italien op 16 (1887) (I: Auf der Campagna) 5 piano pieces Op 3 (IV: Allegro) Serenade in E flat Op 7 for 13 wind instruments Piano Quartet in C minor Op 13 TrV 137 (IV: Finale Vivace) Tod und Verklärung, Op 24 TrV 158 Morgen! Op 27 Overture to Act 2, Guntram (excerpt) Prelude to Act 1, Guntram Also sprach Zarathustra, Op 30 , TrV 136 Gesang der Apollopriesterin Op 33 Ein Heldenleben, Op 40 (Ein Held) Freundliche Vision Op 48 No 1 Violin Sonata in E flat Op 18 (II: Improvisation – Andante cantabile) Ein Heldenleben Op 40 (excerpt) Der Abend, Op 34Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC WalesFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Richard Strauss (1864-1949) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000spn0And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Felix Mendelssohn was one of the most gifted and versatile musicians the world has ever seen. As a child prodigy he was likened to Mozart and he grew to become one of the most famous and beloved composers in Europe, during the middle of the 19th century. His life was cut tragically short, at the age of 38, while he was at the very height of his powers. This week, Donald Macleod focuses on the final five years of Mendelssohn’s life, and follows the composer through his extremely hectic work schedule which undoubtedly contributed to his early demise.Music Featured: Lied ohne Worte in E minor, Op 62 No 3 (Trauermarsch) Paulus, Op 36 (excerpt) Cello Sonata No 2 in D, Op 58 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op 61 (excerpt) O for the wings of a dove! (From Hear My Prayer) Lieder ohne Worte in B flat, Op 62 No 2, 5-6 Lieder ohne Worte in E flat, Op 67 No 1 Violin Concerto in E minor, Op 64 Organ Sonata No 5 in D, Op 65 Wenn sich zwei Herzen scheiden, Op 99 No 5 Lieder ohne Worte in C, Op 67 No 4 Lieder ohne Worte in A, Op 85 No 5 Lieder ohne Worte in D, Op 102 No 2-3 Piano Trio No 2 in C minor, Op 66 Athalie, Op 74 (Overture & War March) Lied ohne Worte in D minor (Reiterlied) Rondo Brilliant in E flat, Op 29 Lauda Sion, Op 73 Nachtlied, Op 71 No 6 Jubilate, Op 69 Symphony No 3 in A minor, Op 56 “Scottish” (Vivace non troppo & Adagio) String Quartet in F minor, Op 80Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock, for BBC WalesFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000shr0And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Donald Macleod finds connections between Mozart’s operas and the composer’s own lifeBorn in 1756, the theatre was a life-long passion for Mozart. Starting at the tender age of just 11, in the space of 22 years he produced an astonishing 24 theatrical works. His destiny was to follow in his father’s footsteps, as a court musician. Instead, by 1781, after a disagreement over his frequent absences from court, Mozart parted ways with his employer, the Elector of Cologne. He left Salzburg and servitude behind, to set himself up in Vienna, a thriving centre for music. The following year he triumphed with his comic singspiel, Die Entführung aus dem Serail. The succession of works that followed include many of the mainstays of operatic repertory, among them The Magic Flute, which was completed in the year of his death, at the age of 35 in 1791.This week Donald Macleod finds connecting points between the characters Mozart created for the stage and the composer's own experiences in life. He examines how Mozart struggled to be a dutiful son, and how he tackles honour and duty in Idomeneo, Lucio Silla and Mitridate. The ideas of enlightenment that influenced Mozart's own views find expression in the balance of power he depicts between servants and the ruling classes in The Marriage of Figaro. The composer’s thorny path to marriage with Constanze also finds him examining the complexities of love in Die Enführung aus dem Serail and Così fan tutte. Donald ends with Mozart's masterly representation of temptation and evil, as characterised by the ultimate bad boy Don Giovanni and the scheming and manipulative Queen of the Night.Music Featured:Overture to Le nozze di Figaro Le nozze di Figaro, Act 1: Cinque, dieci …. Se vuol ballare, Signor Contino La finta giardiniera, Act 1: Appena mi vedon Così fan tutte, Act 1: Scene 3 (excerpt) Don Giovanni , Act 1: Notte e giorno faticar Don Giovanni, Act 1: Ah! Chi mi dice mai...Madamina, il catalogo è questo Don Giovanni, Act 1: Champagne Aria Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Act 2: Martern aller Arten Le nozze di Figaro, Act 2: Esci ormai, garzon malnato …Signore! Cos’è quell’stupore? Le nozze di Figaro, Act 3: Hai già vinto la causa….. Vedró, mentr’io sospiro Don Giovanni, Act 1: Finale, Riposate, vezzose ragazze La clemenza di Tito, Act 1: Parto, parto Die Zauberflöte, Act 1: Bei mannern, weiche Liebe fühlen Idomeneo, Act 1: Estinto e Idomeneo ….tutte nel cor vi sento ..Pieta! Numi pieta! Così fan tutte, Act 1: Finale, Ah che tutta in un momento … Dammi un bacio Le nozze di Figaro, Act 2: Porgi Amor Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Act 2: Wenn der Freude Tränen fliessen … Ach Belmonte! ach mein Leben! Don Giovanni, Act 1: O sai che l’onore Lucio Silla, Overture Lucio Silla, Act 1: Dall sponda tenebrosa; E tollerare io posso; Il desio di vendetta Mitridate, Rè di Ponto, Act 2: Lungi da te, mio bene La Clemenza di Tito, Act 1: Come ti piaci imponi La Clemenza di Tito, Act 2: Deh per questo istante solo; Ove s’intese mai più contumace; Se all’impero, amici Dei Die Zauberflöte, Act 2:Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Act 1: Solche hergelauf’ne Laffen Le nozze di Figaro, Act 1: La Vendetta… via, resti servita Idomeneo, Act 3: Ha vinto amore …. d’Oreste, d’Aiace Die Zauberflöte, Act 1: Finale, Wie stark ist nicht dein zauberton ...Es lebe Sarastro! Sarastro soll leben Don Giovanni, Act 2: Finale II, Già mensa è preparata ... Ah dov’è il perfido?Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC WalesFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000s8w7And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z